Life-boat.



P P. HORVATH.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 23, 1914.

1,104,992. Patented July 2841914.

IHE NORRIS PETERS CO" PHOTO-LI THQ. WASHINGTON. D. LL

PETER I. HORVATH, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

LIFE-BOAT. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed January 23, 1914. Serial No. 813,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER P. HoRvA'rH, a

subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Racine, in the county ofRacine and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and-usefulImprovements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lifeboats, and has for its principal object the provision of means formaintaining the cquilibium of a boat so as to practically eliminatedanger of the same capsizing due to rocking thereof.

I Briefly described, the invention resides in providing in a life boat,an equilibrator adjustable from the interior of the boat so that duringthe floating of the boat in extremely rough water, the equilibrator maybe lowered, and when the boat is in comparatively smooth water, theequilibrator may be raised so as to offer less resistance to the rowingofthe boat.

The invention also involves the provision of means for shielding therowers or other occupants of the boat from the force of the wavesbreaking against the sides of the boat.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingform ing a part of this specification, and of which a specificdescription will hereinafter follow, like numerals of reference beingemployed to designate like parts throughout the different views of thedrawing in which Figure l is a side elevation of a life boatconstructedin accordance with my invention.' Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof the same, and, Fig. 3 is a central vertical transverse sectional viewthereof.

The boat is designated by the numeral 5, and may be of any suitableoutline or design. Centrally of the length of the boat, I provide across bar 6, suitably secured to the boat, preferably to the gunwalesthereof, through which extends a screw 7 which also extends throughacup-shaped standSlocated on the bottom of the boat over a recess 9 inthe boat keel, and provided with an internally-threaded collar 8 toreceive an ex ternally-threaded stuffing box 10 provided to preventleakage of water from the recess 9 along the screw 7 The stand Sisprovided with a base flange 8 upwardly inclined to closely fit aroundthe recess 9 and conform to the curved inner sidesof the boat to whichit is adapted to be directly secured. The lower end of this screwcarries a weight 11 constituting an equilibrator. The cupshaped stand 8being located over the recess 9 constitutes a housing within which theequilibrator 11 may be practically housed when it is not desired to havethe same extended down to a depth beneath the boat. The construction isdistinguished from the prior art by providing a water-tight support forthe adjusting screw of the weight, this being effected by theinternally-threaded collar extension 8 of the housing stand 8, combinedwith the stufiing box 10.

In addition to the equilibrator above described, I preferably pro-videshields 12 mounted on the gunwales of the boat and having flexible sides14k made of canvas, leather or like material, the free edges of whichare suitably fastened, as by buttons or hooks, to the frames so thatthey may be let down when desired, and thus not offer so great a surfaceto any wind which may be blowing. These shields are spaced so as not tointerfere with the operation of the; oars "used in propelling the boat.

VVhatI claim as new is A boat provided centrally of its bottom with arecess, a cup-shaped housing formed with an upwardly-extending inclinedflange mounted on the boat bottom to cover said recess and provided withan upwardly-extending internally-threaded collar extension, a cross-barsecured to the gunwales of the boat and formed with a central opening, astufiing-box within said collar, a screw extending through said openingand said stuffing-box and a weight on the lower end of said screwadapted to be adjusted by the screw and to be housed within saidcupshaped stand.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER P. HORVATH.

Witnesses:

JOHN ASBOTH, JOHN HORVATH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

